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Something felt off, but I couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it had started.

If I had to be precise, it was more of an unsettling instinct than a specific moment or reason.

“Something’s being hidden.”

The Spirit.

She was hiding something from me, and that feeling was unmistakable.

“It seemed there was no issue in explaining the situation.”

Their description of their current state seemed innocent enough as they sought my help.

“Still, it’s unsettling.”

Unreasonably so, my gut was churning with discomfort.

“What could it be? What are they hiding?”

I sensed something was concealed, yet I had no idea what it was. Perhaps it was just my imagination, but—

“No.”

It couldn’t be. I was sure of it.

“There’s definitely something.”

The Spirit or Spirit’s Den harbored something; that’s why I had reacted that way towards the Spirit.

I didn’t offer salvation without a reward. Honestly, I would have said the same even if things were normal.

“Strangely, the more I think about it, the more it stands out.”

Now that my doubts were creeping in, I needed to scrutinize the situation even more.

“…Indeed.”

What were they expecting me to do? And moreover,

“What are you hiding from me?”

Were they planning something ridiculous while keeping secrets under wraps?

I was curious, but if I had to wish, it would be—

“I hope it’s something as bad as possible.”

I wished that whatever the Spirit was planning wouldn’t be anything good for me. I wasn’t a masochist; I simply wanted—

“Then I can get rid of it without hesitation.”

So I could use it and discard it without any scruples.

I hoped they had a filthy mindset, to make it easier for me to utilize them.

“Talk of salvation or any nonsense. My priorities are more urgent.”

The last thing I left with the Spirit was my mother’s workplace. Did she think I could save Spirit’s Den? Or was there—

“Some arrangement hidden within?”

Was there another underlying meaning?

For now, I was still clueless.

“Salvation, what salvation can there be?”

I was barely managing to save myself, and now I must save someone else? Absurd!

The Spirit informed me.

“Spirit’s Den is a place where those unable to escape from Spirit Mountain gather.”

Then why couldn’t they escape Spirit Mountain?

Was it entirely the Master’s intention?

Or was it—

“A problem with Duryeong?”

If it was the Master’s intention, then there was nothing I could do about it.

If Duryeong was the issue—

“That’s not so bad.”

That was manageable. I just had to deal with Duryeong.

If that resolved the matter, it wouldn’t be bad…

“Ugh.”

I grimaced at the thought of handling Duryeong.

“What’s wrong?”

The Heavenly Demon tilted her head, asking as she caught my expression.

“…Nothing at all.”

I brushed it off, but I still had an unsettling thought lingering.

“It’s just useless worry.”

I tried to ignore it, but it kept rattling in my head.

That thought was simply—

“Regardless, Duryeong is my mother’s subordinate.”

Dealing with the Duryeong who held a general’s position meant I was ultimately taking down my mother’s subordinate.

That part kept nagging at me.

“Yusa, sure he’s been eyeing my mother’s position, so it made sense. But with Duryeong, it was ambiguous.”

It seemed he was genuinely loyal to the Master.

That made me even more uneasy.

“Am I feeling a twinge of conscience now?”

It was too late for such a feeling, yet useless hesitation restricted my actions.

That hesitation would lead to problems when facing Duryeong.

“If I truly wanted him dead from the beginning, I would’ve approached it differently.”

It wasn’t about being narrow-minded; if I intended to find and kill him from the start, I could have taken many better routes.

“There would’ve been no need for this cumbersome info gathering.”

I would have used all available means to take him down.

“Ultimately, it ended up being a fortunate situation….”

But the fact that another guy was hiding around was something I needed to take into account. Not that it wasn’t ultimately for the better.

However—

“The fact that my mind couldn’t be like that mattered.”

Regardless of the results, the fact that my mindset couldn’t align was troubling.

“It’s not easy.”

I needed to firm up my direction for the future.

“Hm….”

I brushed back my hair and focused my gaze.

In reflecting on the arrangements left by my mother, there wasn’t much to worry about.

“What a ridiculous worry.”

I didn’t even understand myself why I was being so fidgety.

I raised my head and gazed at the sky.

“There’s still time left.”

The sun hadn’t even set yet. It would be a long while before Duryeong woke up.

In that case,

“First, shall I look around a bit more?”

I had to make the most of the time, as I might uncover something unobserved.

*

As the scarlet sky faded and dusk crept closer.

I perched on a rocky mountain, no longer hiding my discomfort.

I had hoped to find something more, yet annoyingly, I discovered nothing.

“Seriously, there’s absolutely nothing.”

If there was supposed to be nothing, it should be a bit more minimal; this was a bit too much.

After wandering around for a few time points, it was just as barren as an open plain.

No, honestly, being in an open plain would have been better; this was worse.

“Sigh.”

I couldn’t tell if it was my inability to find anything or if the land itself was peculiar.

“Tch.”

I clicked my tongue and stood up.

Staying here was pointless, and it was about time to head back.

“Hey.”

I called out to the Heavenly Demon beside me.

She was also seated on a nearby rock, stretching her legs.

“Yeah?”

She answered, and I looked at her.

“…See anything?”

Couldn’t the Heavenly Demon spot anything? I asked, hopeful.

“Hmm?”

She merely tilted her head in response.

Squinting at her, I prodded.

“No, didn’t you see anything?”

“I only saw you.”

“…”

“Seriously? You didn’t spend the whole day just watching me.”

“…Fine. I’m over it.”

Waving my hands vigorously, I realized talking to her was giving me a headache.

It seemed she hadn’t seen anything either.

“…Let’s head back for now.”

“Got it.”

With my words, the Heavenly Demon hopped off the rock and landed on the ground.

I turned away.

I needed to return to Spirit’s Den first.

*

Back at Spirit’s Den again.

Entering through the entrance the Spirit had shown me, the soldiers initially put up a brief defense, but as soon as I mentioned the Spirit’s name, they opened the entrance without hesitation.

Passing through the heavy iron doors, I entered inside. The scene was the same as when I had left earlier.

The only difference being that, as the sun set outside, the scenery inside was changing along with it.

It was clear that through sorcery, the ceiling was blocked with rocks to conceal the sky, so naturally it reflected the changes outside.

“How do they use this?”

While it wasn’t visible from outside, I pondered what principle allowed this transparency inside.

Walking while reflecting on that curiosity, I soon reached my destination.

“You have arrived….”

The Spirit, appearing somewhat weary, awaited us.

“How have you been?”

I smiled and inquired, to which the Spirit bowed her head. As she did, her veil swayed.

For a brief moment, I caught a glimpse of her face through the fluttering.

There was nothing surprising or wondrous; after all, I already knew what to expect.

“I meet the Great Being….”

“Forget the pleasantries. So, what’s the outcome of what I asked earlier?”

“…”

What reward could they offer for my work?

At my words, the Spirit fell silent for a moment.

Observing her reaction, I gradually approached, crossing past the water and climbing the hill, drawing near to the Divine Tree.

I still didn’t touch it; I merely looked up at it.

The tree, blackened and charred, gave off an aura as if it had been scorched.

If I touched it now, wouldn’t I feel some sort of change?

I had come here to acquire it; wouldn’t it be enough just to touch it? That thought crossed my mind, but I held back.

“Spirit.”

“Yes… Great Being.”

“Speak of what you have prepared.”

“…!”

At my words, the Spirit flinched.

She seemed startled. Did she wonder how I had realized she had something in mind?

That wasn’t even a big deal.

“I can tell just from your reaction.”

If she had nothing prepared, she wouldn’t have reacted that way.

The Spirit’s demeanor seemed as if she had been waiting for me. Reflecting on our conversation during the day, if she had been waiting— what for?

“Right. What have you prepared for me?”

“…”

The Spirit had something ready for me.

If not, she would at least have formulated a thought.

As I judged this and posed the question—

“…Great Being.”

With a voice somewhat trembling, the Spirit spoke to me.

“The meager and insignificant servant has little to offer a great being like you…”

“Enough with the flattery; get to the point.”

I had no interest in unnecessary humility or beating around the bush.

Cutting her off, she fell silent for a moment and then reached into her robe, retrieving something.

“Hmm?”

Narrowing my eyes at what she presented.

“…This is all we can provide.”

The object the Spirit carefully handed over made me exclaim in short astonishment.

“Oh?

That was a fragment brimming with overwhelming energy, said to be the legacy left by the Master.

 

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